"As of now, there are only 22 people with him and they are in the wanted list," Central Sulawesi Regional Police Chief Brigadier General Rudy Sufahriadi said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Central Sulawesi regional police chief Brigadier General Rudy Sufahriadi said here on Wednesday that the terrorist network led by Santoso alias Abu Wardah has been left with mere 22 members.

"As of now, there are only 22 people with him and they are in the wanted list," he declared at a press conference at the national police headquarters.

The number of men with Santoso came to be known after two incidents of fire fighting between the group and the joint task forces, involved in Tinombala Operation, on May 15 and 17.

Two members of the group died in a 30-minute gunfight in the village of Pantangolemba, Poso Pesisir sub-district in the district of Poso, Central Sulawesi, on May 15.

On May 17, a gun fight erupted when the Tinombala team was evacuating the bodies of those who had died on May 15.

Following the firefight, the team received reports from community members who found a body that had not been completely buried. The leg of the deceased person could still be seen.

"Community members discovered the half-buried body. It has now been kept at the Bhayangkara police hospital in Palu," he informed.

Rudy explained that the body was beyond recognition and a DNA test would be needed to identify it.

The fact that the front against the terror group was too wide and that the group was deploying guerrilla techniques was posing operational problems, adding that in a guerrilla war, the smaller the number of culprits, the more difficult they are to stop, he argued.

"We are fighting an anti-guerrilla war with our members splitting themselves in groups. We also keep changing our techniques. So far, we have caught 15 members of the group," he claimed.

Rudy underlined that he has already issued a declaration, appealing to Santoso and his members to surrender to avoid bloodshed.

"We are not proud to shoot terrorists. If they decide to surrender, we would be ready to receive them. If they do not do so, we would do anything under the existing procedures to arrest them," he warned.

The Tinombala Operation to arrest Santoso and his followers in Poso, Central Sulawesi, will last until August 8, 2016. (*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016